ProQuest CIO Teaches Librarians How to Tune Up End-User Focus

ProQuest CIO Bipin Patel, a principal leader behind the company’s new landmark search platform, will share strategies for creating a more intense focus on end-users with attendees at the 2010 Charleston Conference. Patel is representing ProQuest, the conference’s Diamond sponsor, at the opening Gala and staying throughout the conference, wrapping up Saturday with a presentation in the conference Innovation Thread: “Creating a User Driven Approach to Decision-Making: How a Persona Development Strategy Connects Libraries with Their Users,” at 12:15 in Embassy Suites’ Colonial Ballroom.

“Our use of personas in the development of the new ProQuest platform enabled us to very effectively bring end-users into every decision,” said Mr. Patel. “This is a strategy that libraries can put to work in decisions from collections to website design to the purchase of new technology and services. ProQuest and libraries share a common vision: make research more productive and more intuitive for students and faculty. I’m delighted to share knowledge that will allow us to reach our common goal.”

Mr. Patel, a popular speaker for both his practical insights and engaging style, will teach audience members how to improve their end-user focus — drawing on the needs of students, faculty and librarians for yardsticks in decision-making — by applying the cutting-edge research concept of Persona development. Personas, which are highly descriptive profiles of users, enable administrators to quickly assess the impact of new programs on specific user groups, choose between options and generally, make decisions that align the library more closely with its constituents. ProQuest has invested in an expansive R&D project to create richly-developed profiles of important users of university libraries to guide the development of its platform.

Session attendees will learn the basics of Persona development and how to apply the concept to make better decisions. Additionally, Mr. Patel will open the floor to questions, providing an extraordinary opportunity for librarians to get advice from a seasoned R&D and technology expert. The session will include time for discussion among colleagues about the role of end-user needs in shaping library programs and policies.

The session is free to Charleston Conference participants, but seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first served basis.